Egypt 2-2 Mozambique: Salah's late penalty rescues point for Egypt

Mohamed Salah scored a 97th-minute penalty to spare the blushes of Egypt as they rescued a 2-2 draw against Mozambique and denied their opponents a first ever Africa Cup of Nations win in a Group B clash at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium on Sunday.

Salah's spot-kick went in off the post after Mozambique defender Domingos Macandza committed a foul in the box. The penalty was awarded following a Video Assistant Referee check.

Egypt got off to a fast start in Abidjan, with Mostafa Mohamed scoring within two minutes, but Mozambique punished them for missed opportunities by scoring twice in three second-half minutes through Witi and substitute Clesio Bauque.

However, they were denied their first Cup of Nations victory in their 13th game as Salah held his nerve.

Egypt will play their second pool game against Ghana on Thursday, while Mozambique will face Cape Verde on Friday.

The Pharaohs will breathe a sigh of relief after dominating the game but allowing Mozambique to get back into it in the second half.

Egypt took the lead when Salah made an uncharacteristically poor effort at goal, but as the ball fell to Mostafa Mohamed, he fired into the bottom corner of the net from 15 yards.

Egypt pushed for a second, and Trezeguet's low shot from 18 yards hit the outside of the post, but Mozambique were almost level when Pharoahs defender Mohamed Hamdi miscued a clearance that looped into his own net, and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shennawy made a brilliant diving stop.

Mozambique equalised against the run of play on 55 minutes, when Witi rose unmarked from Macandza's cross and guided a powerful header past El Shennawy.

They then turned the game on its head with a second three minutes later, cutting Egypt down the middle.

Guima fed a rampaging Clesio, who evaded a wild tackle by Ahmed Hegazi to get a clear run on goal and finished calmly.

Egypt came close to equalising when Hamdi Fathi's clever flick looped off the post and away, before winning the penalty that denied Mozambique one of the greatest shocks in Cup of Nations history.

SportsLigue